Pastor’s Pen: It’s time to shine your light for Jesus

In the greatest sermon ever preached - ‘You are the light of the world’, Matthew 5 v14 - the Lord Jesus challenges us to be light bringers.

In other words we have not been called to blend in, but to stand out. Chameleons blend in until they can’t be seen. Compromisers blend in because they don’t want to be different. Cowards blend in because they want to be accepted by everyone so they change to suit the environment they’re in. However light shines in the darkness, in fact the greater the darkness the more effective the light. There’s a deep darkness all over our land, nation and world, it’s time we as born again believers started shining the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ the Light of the World.

Light shines, illuminates, reveals, exposes. It shows the way for others to follow. It attracts all sorts. It differentiates. You can’t live in the darkness and walk in the light. Your light has to be seen, not hidden, not disguised. Q: How do you glorify God? A: Shine your light.

A man was being tailgated by a woman who was in a hurry. He comes to a set of traffic lights and when they turn amber he brakes.

The woman behind him goes ballistic, she honks her horn, yells profanities and gestures with her fingers. As she’s ranting and raving someone taps on her driver’s window and to her utter horror she looks out to see a traffic policeman. He invites her out of her car, breathalyses her, takes her to the police station where she is finger printed and held in a cell.

After a couple of hours she’s released and the arresting officer returns her belongings and says “I’m very sorry for the mistake ma’am. I pulled up behind your car while you were blasting your horn, using ugly gestures, shouting foul language and I just happened to notice the ‘What would Jesus do?’ sticker on your bumper, the ‘Follow me to Sunday School’ window sign, the dove of peace emblem on your boot and the ‘Follow me to Church on Sunday’ licence plate holder. So I naturally assumed that you had stolen the car and I arrested you.”

Sadly many people get turned off by those who have Christian bumper stickers on their cars, Christian jewellery around their necks and Christian magazines on their coffee tables or book shelves but don’t show the life of Jesus in their lives or the love of Jesus in their hearts.